Should you rethink where you live?

Believe it or not, deciding where you call home can be a step toward saving water. “I think if someone’s thinking about moving to a place like Boulder, Colorado, or Phoenix or anywhere in the Southwest, they need to be mindful of the environment to which they’re moving,” says water conservation specialist Amy Vickers.

“If you look at the Southwest, it’s clear those areas are at their natural water-supply limits.” Vickers points to the fact that during parts of the year, the Colorado River doesn’t always reach the ocean anymore because it’s dried up from being overutilized for lawn-watering and other uses in the Southwest. “So yes, you can make a difference by choosing where you live, but also by being sensitive to the environmental needs for water where you live,” she says.